THE HIGH COURT, HIGH TEENS AND STATE LAW ON MARIJUANA

As the grand jury recently noted, the San Diego County Board of
Supervisors is "blinded by its prejudices against medical marijuana
use." As pointed out by California Attorney General Bill Lockyer,
nothing is different today than it was before the Supreme Court
ruling. It does not void California law. It does mean that those who
use marijuana as a medicine risk legal action by the federal
government. That is the situation that existed in 1996, when
California voters approved Proposition 215.

For Supervisor Pam Slater-Price to use the Supreme Court ruling as an
excuse to continue to do nothing highlights the grand jury's
conclusions. Prior to the passage of Proposition 215 and SB 420, the
Board of Supervisors actively opposed allowing marijuana to be used
medicinally, although the majority of San Diego voters disagreed. That
is the board's prerogative. However, once Proposition 215 and SB 420
became law, the board was obliged to honor those laws and to do all in
their power to implement them. That was board members' failure and and
they have been rightfully chastised.

Kathy Waring,

La Jolla